Pre-term infants may be at an increased risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) due to impaired control of blood pressure, according to a new study released in the December 2011 issue of the journal Pediatrics.

Researchers studied pre-term and full-term infants to see if impaired blood pressure control may underpin the increased incidence of the sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in preterm infants. They measured baroreflex sensitivity across the first 6 months of term-corrected age, when SIDS risk is greatest.

The results showed that preterm infants at an increased risk for cardiovascular instability at the age of peak incidence of SIDS.